Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/power-struggles-early-experiences-matter/5013755/
During my own brief stint as an elementary school teacher in the 1960s, I became fascinated with the power struggles I saw being played out in the first grade classroom. I recall one such child as if it were yesterday. As I watched him on the playground, six-year-old Damon dropped a banana peel on the ground and ran off. The principal saw him commit this minor act of delinquency and tracked him down. "Pick it up," he said to the boy. Damon did, and then promptly dropped it again. "Pick it up and put it in the trash," the principal responded. Damon did so, paused, and then pulled the banana peel out of the trash and dropped it on the ground again. "Pick it up, put it in the trash and leave it there!" the exasperated principal yelled. Children like Damon leave their teachers weary at the end of the day.Coupled with aggression, this sort of power struggle wrapped up in chronic misbehavior lays the foundation for bigger problems in later life unless teachers and parents intervene early to get these children (particularly boys) back on track. The good news is that this redirection is possible.
According to the results of ...